Former Holland international Mark van Bommel has announced his retirement

PSV Eindhoven skipper Mark van Bommel has announced that he is to bring the curtain down on a glittering playing career.

The 36-year-old is to hang up his boots this summer after deciding that he has reached the end of the road.

The combative midfielder saw his farewell appearance ruined by a red card on Sunday, as he was sent off during a 3-1 defeat to FC Twente.

Van Bommel will, however, have plenty of happy memories to reflect on when he slips into retirement.

A former captain of the Dutch national side, he was capped on 79 occasions by his country and won countless honours at club level - including league titles in Holland, Germany, Italy and Spain, and the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League while on the books of Barcelona.

"That's it, it's over. It's a shame that it ended with a red card, but it sums up what a difficult season it has been for the team," said Bommel.

"I have had many doubts. The support of the fans made the decision tough for me.

"Although I still feel good, I had to make a lot of efforts to stay fit. I wanted to make the decision to quit by myself."